The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-16
FUNNY COUNTRY LAHsUITa
Some Examples OF Queer Litigation-suin
for . Cent-A Famous Turkey Suit.


for . Cent-A Famous Turkey Suit.
EAST AURORA, Oct. 15.-Ten years ago the
town Of Wales, Erie county. enjoyed q reputa-
ton as the centre Of country lawsuits in that
section OF New York State. Tho local Justices,
Of whom there were four In the township. were
kept constantly busy listening to arguments
involving the most trivial cases imaginable
An old fellow named John Rowe was contin-
ually In hot; water with his neighbors. and
when he was not the defendant in lawsuit he
generally had one on hand against some one
else. John conducted q small sawmill on the
banks Of Buffalo Greek. and lived in little
house all by. himself. He had number of
hens about him. and these hens were one of
the principal sources Of his troubles. On one
occasion he was sued for damages because his
fowls scratched up the corn Of one Of his neigh
bors and the Judge decided that he must pay
something like twenty-five cents for the de-
struction wrought by the scratohers.
In this case the lawyers fees and court ex-
penses, before the case was finally decided.
amounted to upward OF 800. but the plaintiff
did not care snap about this, although he
had to mortgage his farm to pay. his share.
He had downed John Rowe. and that sufllced.
By far the most celebrated case that ever oc-
CURED in the town, however. was that In which
q blacksmith In Wales Centre sued the tax
The Sisotsmith and i the tax Collector had beeI
good friends for years. but something came be-
Ths
taxes with the exception Of four cents. The
collector came around t. gct ths balance ons
the collector, II you don't pay It over III
smith. The Collector paid no e attenton to S this
and walked away with the odd cent. Two or
Vices Of the best legal talent in the town. Joe
othsr The Solicitor decided that be Would s
the Judge alone the constable
AZ o ana aS'sff me %ss'i
tor. three times the jury was hung. and
the cause extended over several weeks The
court was held IN corner 0f
Secured from The itisants At last after each
costs, and an execution for the same was forth
and fis nS " 5astee Of f essss
case came up. Two farmers living on Holiness
I'm about tRS Of
allow the claw to settle their differences. This
time three lawyers were engaged, Assembly
man 4. X. Emery. Supervisor Frank Il. Whaley
Of the town OF Aurora, and Village Clerk Ad-
dingtop of the village OF East Aurora Again,
It WAS determined that Jury should decide
the merits OF each side. Twice they failed to
agree, and the turkey suit Of Holiness Hill
promised to be long -drawn out fight over n
very small matter Tho lawyers. however. were
not OF the New York brand, and they decided
to bring the case to an end with as little eX-
pense as possible. The turkeys We're confined
IN the hen house q the defendant. They looked
remarked TO Supervisor Whaley that no should
panied by cranberry sauce and the other trim
mings., The suggestion was Immediately Sec
onded By Village Clerk Addlngton, and super
visor Whaley admitted that his mouth
watered to- some extent. The result was
that the three lawyers called the. plain
till and defendant together and sug-
gested that the quickest way to settle
that case would be to devour the turkeys The
two men. who had been neighbors and friends
for years. looked at one another, and finally
agreed that II was the most sensible sugges-
ton that had ever come from a legal mind.
Then came a ,disnute as to who should prepare
tratiop; third party volunteered, TO spread
he Judge, the lawyers. the parties to the ac-
ton. the Jury, and their friends SAT down to an
oh-fashioned country spread In the dining
rom Of Mrs, George Holmes. and all agreed
thN Whenever there was dispute about the
ownership Of q turkey in the future Mrs. Holmes
SHOULD cook II, and that the lawyers should be
callsd In to enjoy the feast.